Ormosil Explained

Ormosil is a shorthand phrase for organically modified silica or organically modified silicate.^[1] In general, ormosils are produced by adding silane to silica-derived gel during the sol-gel process. They are engineered materials that show great promise in a wide range of applications^[2] such as:

• alternative to viral vectors for gene delivery, with higher transient transfection efficiencies^{[3] [4]}
• suspension media and substrates for next generation solar cells (quantum dots)and photocatalytic oxidation of water^[5]
• matrix material for UV-protection coating^[6]
• matrix material for laser dye-doped organic-inorganic solid state dye lasers^[7]

This technology has been demonstrated as a nonviral vector to successfully deliver DNA loads to specifically targeted cells in living animals. Confirmation of results demonstrated that new DNA was working and expressed genes in the animal.

Sono-Ormosil

Sono-Ormosils are organically modified silicates, which were prepared by using high-performance ultrasound during the sol-gel process. When high intense ultrasound is introduced in liquid, cavitation is produced. Due to the cavitational shear forces, molecular weight is lowered by particle size reduction and polydispersity is achieved. Multiphase systems are dispersed and emulsified very efficiently, so that very fine mixtures are prepared. This means that ultrasound accelerates the polymerization significantly over conventional stirring. The resulting polymer shows a higher molecular weight with a lower polydispersity. The product is a molecular-scaled composite material with improved mechanical properties. Sono-Ormosils are distinguished in comparison with conventional gels by a higher density as well as improved thermal stability. This may be a result from the higher degree of polymerization.^[8]

See also

• Organic laser
• Organic photonics

Notes and References

1. Li CY, etal . John D. . MacKenzie . ORMOSILS as matrices in inorganic-organic nanocomposites for various optical applications . Proc. SPIE . 1758 — Sol-Gel Optics II . 410–9 . 1992 . 10.1117/12.132033 . Sol-Gel Optics II . 1992SPIE.1758..410L .
2. For biotechnological applications of nanoparticles in general, see e.g.
   Salata O . Applications of nanoparticles in biology and medicine . Journal of Nanobiotechnology . 2 . 1 . 3 . April 2004 . 15119954 . 419715 . 10.1186/1477-3155-2-3 . free . .
3. Ellen Goldbaum, Using nanoparticles, in vivo gene therapy activates brain stem cells; Medical News Today, 2005 July. Accessed 2007 May.
4. Yin, F.. etal. Folic acid-conjugated organically modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced targeted delivery in cancer cells and tumor in vivo . Journal of Materials Chemistry B. 3. 29 . 6081–6093 . 2015. 10.1039/C5TB00587F.
5. Scandura, G.. etal. Nanoflower‐like Bi2WO6 encapsulated in ORMOSIL as a novel photocatalytic antifouling and foul‐release coating. Chemistry: A European Journal. 22. 21. 7063–7067 . 2016. 10.1002/chem.201600831. 26945837.
6. Crombie JF . Coating protects organic materials from photodegradation . Chemical Technology . 5 May 2006 .
   Parejo PG, Zayat M, Levy D . Highly efficient UV-absorbing thin-film coatings for protection of organic materials against photodegradation . J. Mater. Chem. . 16 . 22. 2165–9 . 2006 . 10.1039/b601577h .
7. [F. J. Duarte]
8. Rosa-Fox, N. de la; Pinero, M.; Esquivias, L. (2002): Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials from Sonogels. 2002nd